Curfew continues in Odisha's district HQ Bhadrak, new Collector takes over. Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued. So far 32 rioters have been arrested. 24 platoons of armed police have been deployed.
15 platoons of police force along with senior officials including ADG Binayananda Jha held a flag march in Bhadrak.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and appealed to him to send security forces to Bhadrak.
Three separate FIRs have been lodged by both sides at Town Police Station, 35 persons arrested, 9 motorcycles seized by police
2 companies of central forces reached Bhadrak today following State’s letter to Centre, informed Chief Secretary AP Padhi
Despite curfew, scores of rioters were seen moving around in several localities with weapons indulging in looting and arson on Friday late evening.
More than 100 shops set on fire in more than 25 localities of Bhadrak town. Throughout Friday, the skyline of Bhadrak town was covered with smoke from fires that raged in different localities.
New district collector Gyan Ranjan Das has taken over. The post of collector was vacant till Friday.
Sec 144 prohibitory orders have been imposed in neighbouring Dhamnagar harbour. Odisha Director General of Police and State Home Secretary are camping in Bhadrak.
More than a hundred shops were looted and set on fire in Nua Bazar, College Road, Kutchery Bazar, SBI chowk, Tehsil Road, Bypass chowk.
At Mathasahi Chowk, two rival groups threw petrol bombs at each other's localities.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan have appealed to both communities to maintain peace.
#VHP denies its own & #BajrangDal’s role in #BhadrakUnrest at press meet; says delayed administrative action heightened tensions
The immediate provocation for riots was the posting of objectionable comments and images of Lord Ram, Hanuman and Sita on Thursday. A huge mob demanding arrest of those who posted this on Facebook gheraoed a local police station. Some shops were set on fire on Thursday night. The situation was calm on Friday morning, and at around 3 pm a Peace Committee meeting was convened attended by community leaders, IG Police, the local MLA and town mayor.
The situation turned for the worse after the IG Police Ghanshyam Upadhyay left the peace committee meeting. A group of youths riding nearly 100 motorcycles went through Purana Bazaar shouting Pakistan Zindabad and anti-national slogans.
In retaliation, youths from another community began setting shops on fire in Nua Bazar. The youths stoned police vehicles injuring several policemen.
For nearly two hours, arson and rioting went on unabated in Bhadrak town, and police remained mute spectators. Curfew was imposed at around 6 pm. but groups of youths went on the rampage, indulging in arson and looting, till late in the night.
